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Chamber of Secrets
|Employed = }}The Chamber of Secrets was a hidden chamber underneath Hogwarts School built by Salazar Slytherin. It could be opened by speaking Parseltongue. The Serpent of Slytherin was left in the chamber for the purpose of an Heir of Slytherin to open the Chamber and use a Basilisk to purge the school of Muggle-born students. For centuries, many searched for it but never found it. It eventually became a myth, but it was opened twice: by Tom Riddle in 1942 and by Ginevra Weasley in 1992. Harry Potter eventually found it and killed the serpent. About The entrance was concealed behind a sink instead of a trapdoor. The sink had copper taps and a tiny snake engraved in one. If spoken to in Parseltongue, it would shine a white light and begin to spin. The sink then lowered in the ground and revealed a large pipe large enough for a person to go down. The slide was long and dark, and steeply twisted and turned downward until it levelled and ended in a large, stone corridor. The corridor had small animals living in it and the shedded skin of a Basilisk. The corridor turned and turned until it ended at a stone wall engraved by two entwined serpents whose eyes were shining emeralds. If spoken to in Parseltongue, the wall broke in half and slid open into long chamber. The chamber had large pillars supporting a ceiling engraved by entwined serpents. The whole chamber had a green glow to it. The back wall had a large statue of Salazar Slytherin. If spoken to in Parseltongue, the statue's face would open up and get wider and wider, enabling a Basilisk living deep inside to escape. History Founding Salazar Slytherin and the three co-founders of Hogwarts School had an argument about the admittance protocol. Slytherin supported the importance of blood purity and thought Muggle-borns shouldn't be accepted to learn at their school. He eventually left the school but built the Chamber of Secrets before doing so, in the hope a descendent would open it and use the Basilisk to purge the school of Muggle-borns. Though a legend about it began, the Chamber of Secrets was never found. First opening By June 1943, Tom Riddle found and opened the Chamber of Secrets and unleashed the Basilisk. He was the final, surviving descendant of Slytherin, born to Merope Gaunt and through research, discovered who he was and searched for it. He was able to control the Basilisk and he injured many students. Eventually, it killed a student and unless Professor Dippet found who was responsible, the school was probably going to be closed down. Tom ended up framing Rubeus Hagrid and Aragog, covering up any involvement by the Chamber of Secrets in what had happened, but a few people passed on knowledge of the truth. Hagrid was expelled and Tom was awarded a Special Award for Services to the School. Because he was unable to open it again when he attended the school, he preserved a version of himself aged sixteen in a Diary in the hope it would possess a future student to open it again. Second opening In September 1992, Ginevra Weasley was possessed by Tom Riddle's Diary and she found and opened it. Harry Potter heard the Serpent of Slytherin whispering about killing in Parseltongue but could not find the source of the voice. In October, he heard it for the second time when it Petrified Mrs Norris. Ginny hung the cat up by her tail and left a warning by her: "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir beware". Colin Creevey was next and Professor Dumbledore announced it was proof that the Chamber of Secrets was opened again. Another four people were eventually Petrified. Before Hermione Granger was Petrified, she had worked out how the Basilisk was getting round the school and Harry Potter and Ron Weasley used her research to find the location of the Chamber of Secrets. But a possessed Ginny had locked herself in the Chamber having wrote on a wall how "HER SKELETON WILL LIE IN THE CHAMBER FOREVER". The version of Tom Riddle at age sixteen was gaining a physical body in the Chamber by siphoning a dying Ginny's life force. Having worked out the location of the Chamber, Harry and Ron forced Professor Lockhart to go. Harry opened the sink by speaking Parseltongue and pushed Lockhart down the pipe. He and Ron then slid down next and they walked through the corridor towards the Chamber. En route, Lockhart saw the shedded skin of a Basilisk and panicked. He grabbed Ron's broken wand and performed a spell to erase their minds and escape. It bounced back and struck Lockhart instead, causing rocks to fall. Harry had continue on his own and found a solid wall and had to speak Parseltongue to open it. He then entered the Chamber. Harry found Ginny and Tom revealed who he really was and what had actually happened. He then called for the Basilisk and Harry ran, knowing eye contact would kill him immediately. Fawkes showed up and clawed the serpent's eyes out, enabling Harry to face and fight the Basilisk. Harry took the Sword of Gryffindor and stabbed it, causing it to die and a fang to get embedded in his arm. The fang had Basilisk venom in it and Harry used it to destroy the Diary. That saved Ginny before Fawkes healed Harry. Fawkes then took Harry, Ginny, Ron and Professor Lockhart out of the Chamber and back to the school, sharing its location to the wizarding world. Notes and sources Category:Locations in Hogwarts School